Roots With Soil (dried)

With our first trial, we used the Knife Mill PULVERISETTE 11 and single use vessels of 40 ml to avoid cross contaminations surely. Ground sample could be stored and transported inside 40 ml or 100 ml vessels, too.

For a good comminution, we precut the block of roots with a kitchen knife to < 10x20 mm start size. No large stones were found inside the dried sample.

After we placed the 6 grams of precut sample into the vessel, the vessel was clicked into the adapter and the sample was ground at maximum speed for about 15 seconds. Usually the finest possible grinding result will be achieved in relatively short grinding times. Without a static knife to shear off samples, some mm-long fragments of chewy organic samples should still be found afterwards.

Fast and fine grinding results by dry comminution can be achieved with our Variable Speed Rotor Mills PULVERISETTE 14. For a batch size of only ~ 5 grams, we recommend a classic line model.

The sample was precut to < 10x10 mm. We equipped the mill with an impact rotor with 8 ribs and a reinforced sieve ring with 0,75 mm trapezoidal perforations. The grinding sound while feeding was typical and no harsh sounds (produced by stones) were observed. Mineral content would surely show higher abrasion because of its hardness.

After 10 seconds, the complete sample material was fed and ground. Some root fragments were found with a length up to ~ 2 mm (passed the trapezoidal perforations longitudinal).

For a rapid cleaning, vacuuming with a soft brush would be recommended. For an intensive cleaning, all grinding parts could be washed with warm water, too.